City: Chennai

Rajan tried all manner of entrepreneurial enterprises. He sold scrap paper and cardboard to recyclers. He built a street corner chai and cigarette cart, and repaired truck and bus tires. He started an office cleaning service for high-tech companies in the growing IT sector south of the city center. None of these delivered the financial returns and workday flexibility of selling clear, sky blue, 20-litre water “cans” in Chennai’s immense bottled water industry. The 32-year-old business owner, stocky and muscled, fits the enterprise. Every day, Rajan explained through an interpreter, he and a partner purchase some 200, 20-litre water cans…

In December 2015, a few of us, office colleagues, got together and formed Naam Virumbum Thamizhagam (The Tamilagam we want) with the intent to engage in action that would eventually lead to the improvement of our respective neighbourhoods. 15-members strong today, our primary mission is to take the lead as citizens in bringing about a positive change in governance, by engaging in socio-political dialogue and activities. For any organization seeking to bring about an improvement in governance and social change, it is very important to know and resolve the local problems that citizens face, before taking any big steps. Our…

It was August 2016. I chanced upon a Conservancy worker in Rail Nagar near Koyambedu segregating the 'waste' that was dumped into a plastic packet and suddenly found something like human excreta on her bare hands. I was shocked and asked how she got that. She said she had been asked by officers above her to separate the wet waste (mainly kitchen waste) and dry waste and put them into separate bins. I asked her whether the people who dump all their waste in one plastic bag would not segregate the different types of waste themselves if asked to, and…

What would a city dweller do if they saw a snake inside their house in the city? Chances are they would reach for a stick or a weapon to kill it. If you ever find yourself in that position, DON’T kill the snake.. It is a protected creature under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and killing or handling a snake is a punishable offence. If a nosy neighbor decided to take a picture of you with the snake, you are in double trouble! Chennai has its own share of human-snake encounters. In areas like Navalur on Old Mahabalipuram Road, Uthandi…

Garbage it seems has become an unavoidable part of our lives. However, we can reduce the amount we generate. A few months ago, 11 of us, all part of the Grandma & Grandpa's International Early Learning Center's Leadership Development Series, were discussing cleanliness of cities and their waste problems, and decided to go on a walk around our neighbourhood to understand how clean it actually is. While walking we came across piles of garbage on the streets everywhere and overflowing from the bins! We were overwhelmed to see so much waste and this caused a switch to flick in all of us.…

Have you ever stopped to read an advertisement board nailed onto a tree trunk? Or stared in awe at the pretty strings of lights used to adorn many a tree during the festive season? Now place yourself in the position of the tree and think again! These fixtures or constricting elements on our mature trees actually kill them silently. However, the good news is that even as a concerned citizen, you can save the city's trees, free them from such abuse and give them a new lease of life and respect. Free the Tree Campaigns or FTCs organised by Nizhal, the…

Peak summer is yet to hit Chennai, but the sun is blazing and thanks to the failed winter rains and depleting reservoir levels, residents in many parts of the city have already begun to feel the scarcity of water. For those, who have their gardens and plants to look after, the act of balancing water conservation with plant management is a tricky challenge. Here are a few tips that may see you through the season: 1. Plan growing varieties based on seasons and climates. That way we can cut down on the varieties that demand a lot of water. 2. Use water from…

The very popular share autos, or 7-seater mini vans operating in the hundreds in Chennai and addressing an acutely-felt need for intermediate public transport in the city are in fact illegal, and cannot pick up and drop passengers at random. This was revealed by a response given by the Tamil Nadu Transport Department to an RTI query filed in March 2017 by a journalist from the city, who blogs at Straphangers United. The RTI application was filed to the Secretary, Transport, Tamil Nadu, who forwarded it to the Transport Commissioner, who in turn sent it to the RTOs. The response to…

Seeniammal, a resident of Parameswaran Street in Zamin Pallavaram had acquired a small piece of land for constructing a house three decades ago but never saw this coming. For her as for other residents of the area, the 2010 notification from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), accompanied by a letter from Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority, was a bolt from the blue. According to the notification and letter, Zamin Pallavaram was one among the sites chosen for research by the ASI and hence classified as “Prohibited” or “Regulated.” Effectively what this means is that homeowners in these regions would not…

Many may have missed this small snippet of news, but the Special Officer, Corporation Commissioner D Karthikeyan has already passed the Greater Chennai Corporation budget, reportedly on March 14. Details of the budget are however being withheld in the name of election code of conduct, in view of the imminent by-elections in RK Nagar. While one can understand that the announcement of welfare measures related to RK Nagar could violate the election code of conduct, it is difficult to see why the entire budget details have to be withheld. And one cannot hold back the feeling that an elected council…